Marilyn Monroe, Unforgettable

Published: 8/5/2012

As of today, the world is now 50 years removed from Marilyn Monroe's life. The screen legend and sex symbol died Aug. 5, 1962, and generations have now grown up knowing her only from her movies… or, perhaps even more likely, from her photographs.

Almost every other person who has ever lived will have faded into a murky distance 50 years after their death. They may be remembered still, mourned still – but only Monroe and a select few of her contemporaries (Elvis Presley, James Dean) are still such an integral part of our culture, decades after their deaths.

Is Monroe still hot because today's teens are devouring movies that were made more than half a century ago? Or is it more because of the wealth of stunning photographs of Monroe that still circulate on social media and in the news? Even in an era when paparazzi didn't follow stars around to document their every move, Monroe was endlessly photographed… and publicly she was almost always charming and photogenic. These images of a bygone era's glamour are still irresistible today – both to those who were alive for Monroe's stardom and for younger people who yearn for a time when satin and diamonds were de rigueur.

Or maybe it's just that we love to look at her sunny smile, her platinum curls, her famous curves. Today, we offer a few of our favorite images of the greatest blonde bombshell of all time.